Nessa, Jo, Harriet. Three women who have all been screwed over by men in their lives. Three women whose lives, thanks to those men, have taken very different directions, their paths eventually leading them to each other. Three women who all have been gifted supernatural abilities post menopause.
Just like they did to her grandmother, the dead call to Nessa. The dead that are lost and need to be found, so desperate families can grieve and find closure. Jo channels her anger and rage into strength, fire and heat. Harriet has a supernatural bond with nature, able to grow plants virtually overnight.
The ghost of a seventeen-year-old girl gives Nessa directions to her body, dumped in the overgrowth of a beach. However, the police are not interested, closing the case quickly as an accidental drug overdose. Nessa then sees two more young female ghosts on the beach. As more girls call to Nessa the trio realise they are dealing with a serial killer. They join forces, not to bring the killer to justice, for justice has failed these girls, they join forces to exact vengeance and retribution.
While this novel is a magical realism feminist revenge tale, with plenty of dark humour, Miller broaches the very real issues of sexual abuse, gender inequality, and toxic male predator behaviour. It’s also refreshing to see that Miller has written her three protagonists as strong dominant women who do not fit the stereotypical female heroine.
The Change is Millers’ first adult novel, and while there is a pronounced dark and violent undercurrent, it does, and this is not a criticism, retain a young adult feel. An enjoyable read.
Reviewed by Neale Lucas
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